In both the plant and animal world localities have common
species, rarities and every degree in between.
Here in Bluff Country (southeastern Minnesota) two of my favorite
wildflowers are Michigan Lilies and Yellow Moccasin flowers.
Unfortunately for the uninitiated (including me) Michigan
Lilies (L. michiganense) are often misidentified as “Turks Cap Lilies” (L.
superbum). These plants are becoming uncommon in the wild due to cultivation
and roadside mowing. Like most lilies the plants grow from a bulb with
offsetting rhizomes. L. superbum has a white bulb and the rhizomes branch; L.
michiganense has a yellow bulb and the rhizomes do not branch. L. superbum
prefers sites that are moister such as moist meadows and thickets, rich wood
openings and the edges of marshes and is adapted to somewhat less sun, whereas
L. michiganense is more adapted to prairies, ditches, woodland edges where it
gets more sun.
Turks Cap Lily
Michigan Lilies...
Michigan Lilies and Pale Cone
flowers near Lake Louise State Park
"Stop dear so I can jump out and get some close-up's!"
There are several kinds of native orchids in Minnesota. The most famous is the Showy Pink Ladyslipper, our State flower found only in the North Country. Here in the southeast I look for the Yellow Moccasin Flower. All the native orchids are becoming increasingly rare though protected. Still there may be pockets here and there where they may seem abundant.
How sweet it is....!
They do look like slippers.
ReplyDeleteWhat stunning lilies. Those last ones do look like moccasins. How nice that there are still areas where wild flowers can survive. Really nice shots.
ReplyDeleteStunning. I just love finding new-to-me things when out and about. You got some nice photos.
ReplyDeleteThose lilies really are special ones. I think we have some similar in northern Iowa but there are nothing like it here in central Iowa. I have been seeing some nurseries selling the Yellow Moccasin flower in pots here in Iowa. I can't believe they would be that successful as our climate is so much hotter and hot for longer periods of times.
ReplyDeleteOur tiger lilies look a lot like your Michigan lilies, and I see them in the wild. This year, however, all of our wildflowers are gone, with only the (usual) fall display of fireweed. We are in an extreme drought, and the wildflowers came and went quickly. I LOVE your pretty yellow lady slippers! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe've been here in Halifax, NS for several years now and are still finding things we hadn't expected to see. This week it was the snake. Early last month we found pitcher plants. Nature provides all the best entertainment.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor brought her lilies in from the farm when she so it. A lt don't realize what they are changing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteYou have some great wildflowers in your part of the state! I think you may have some Orchids that I don't have up here. :)
ReplyDeleteLoving those Wildflowers, they are so pretty.Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteGreat post on native plants. Your lily looks similar to our tiger lily, Yes native habitat is shrinking all the time.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to know your wild flowers well. I should do something about my pathetic wildflower knowledge.
ReplyDeleteExcellent shots of ALL of them! Yay!
ReplyDeleteIn the photo you appear to be stalking the flowers. Is there a concern about them turning on you?
ReplyDeleteMy question is, who was stalking you and where is that photo? And was there a concern about you turning on them?
Seriously, that's a great post. I also envy you your knowledge. A thing that interests me about wildflowers is the unique colors, of course, but also those gradations. As you can see from your photos, there are not only the contrasting spots of complimentary colors, but there are different shades of the same color as you move across the surface of the petal. I don't think we've been able to reproduce that yet.
Although in my way I've tried. With my digital camera I've tried capture and store some of those colors in my computer for use in my digital projects. Alas, our instruments and gadgets render only a representation of nature. Thanks for that post!
Love the photographs. I am a lover of wild flowers so the more that can be saved the happier I will be.
ReplyDeleteWe have Lady Slippers here, too, but they're pink.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe have some of the lilies but I have never seen an orchid in the wild...doesn't mean they're not there. I just haven't seen one.
Have a great day.
Lovely, Troutbirder! I enjoy wildflowers and we have many here on our small farm!
ReplyDeleteI love wildflowers. I like to find different kinds on our hikes.
ReplyDeleteI love the Lady Slippers.
Carla
Oh I LOVE LOVE the Yellow Lady Slipper it is so different than anything around here. Beautiful. B
ReplyDeleteWhat treasures wildflowers are. It is sad to see them disappear. These flowers were simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteI planted a lot of native species in my gardens this year. They are so easy to take care of when they are used to the environment. No lilies though....I hate to deadhead, even if I love them.
How beautiful! You've obviously done some close study to be able to identify the various species. It's always a pleasure to discover a rare wildflower along your path.
ReplyDeleteWild flowers in foreign lands always seem more exotic and when I look at your photographs I have to say they do seem to outmatch anything you would find on a Yorkshire hedgerow. Your post as made me want to look more carefully as I wander through the fields
ReplyDeleteThe summer wildflowers come in such vivid colors. What a nice shot of the lady slippers.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. I never realized that Lady Slippers are in the Orchid family.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice crop of wild flowers you found. They are simply gorgeous! We have a pink Lady Slipper orchid in the Sandia Mountains.
ReplyDeleteOur State wildflower is the Carolina Lily (lillium michauxii) which looks very much like your lily. I know where a large patch of Lady Slippers grow but I don't often share that.
ReplyDeleteKia ora TB,
ReplyDeleteThe micro world is totally entralling...One of the benefits of walking slower is a better connection with all that is about...hope all is well.
Robb
Great to hear about your forays inro the wilds of wildflowers. I know some about identifying wildflowers but not enough. Your shared knowledge is appreciated by this rather fledgling learner.Are you a member of a state or national wildflower association?. thanks for sharing -- barbara
ReplyDeleteI had tried to comment earlier, but not sure if it went through. Sorry if I'm repeating myself!
ReplyDeleteEarly this July I stumbled on one of the most amazing sights of my life.. hundreds and hundreds of Showy Pink Lady Slippers. They went on and on, beautiful, bright bunches of them up to almost three feet tall. I've never seen anything like it. (not even close!) I felt like I'd won the lottery when I saw them. A very lucky day! I look forward to looking for them again next year.
We used to have Turks Cap lilies (at least I think that's what they were, maybe they were Michigan Lilies? We just called them Tiger Lilies) all around us growing up, they were a childhood favorite, but I haven't seen one in years. My sisters have also noted their disappearance from time to time as well.
We got our Wookie from a breeder family on the south edge of Rochester, very nice people and she sure is a nice pup! I only learned the difference between Griffons and German Wirehair Pointers in recent years. All the Griff owners we know or have talked to rave about their dogs! We're very happy to have been steered toward the breed and to have found Wookie. (through an ad in the Outdoor News paper.. my dad sends them over after he's done reading them.)